


all other work is but preparation

by gillie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 09:13:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4299111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillie/pseuds/gillie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan asked her family to help her fight the darkness. This is the aftermath of that request. Since my theories are like to be jossed within hours, let's call this a canon divergence from the end of S4</p>
            </blockquote>





	all other work is but preparation

 

 

> For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks,
> 
> the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.
> 
> RAINER MARIA RILKE, letter, May 14, 1904, Letters to a Young Poet

 

“So, are we in agreement? She asked us to help her, and we need to honor those wishes.”

Mary Margaret looked expectantly at her husband and step-mother, adrenaline coursing through her, magnified tenfold by what she now held in her hand.

A physical nudge from his wife got David talking. “I say yes. After everything that happened, she still trusts us to save her. We can’t just leave her to the Darkness. Every minute she’s gone has to be eating away at her.  Emma shouldn’t have to face that on her own.”

Regina huffed her skepticism. “So we’re just going to invite the new Dark One to live among us before we find Merlin? Offer her cocoa and cheese fries and everything’s peachy?”

The younger woman quickly considered which of her many arguments posed to David in private could possibly sway the former queen. “Rumplestilkskin wasn’t that bad in Storybrooke. Was he? Belle saw something good in him, anyway. And he sacrificed himself to save us from Pan. If _he_ could do that, then why _not_ Emma?

“Are you morons kidding me? That man is the master manipulator. He ruins half a dozen lives before breakfast for sport. And that’s without the magic.”

Mary Margaret wasn’t so easily daunted. “Even if Gold was the worst of the worst, he’s not _Emma_. She’s inherently good. Her heart is full of love and light magic. And she took on the Darkness to save us. We can’t let her fight it on her own. Gold was alone for centuries. But Emma’s whole family is here in Storybrooke to support her. She has us. And Henry. And Hook.”

Charming bristled reflexively. “He’s not family YET.”

Snow put a soothing hand on his arm. “David, you and I both know it’s only a matter of time. I don’t think there’s any question about how either of them feel at this point, is there? Besides, everybody already knows that you like him.”

“Yes, yes, your bromance is epic. Speaking of which, why did we send the one-handed wonder off with Henry instead of including him in this decision?”

“Because we’re her _parents_ ,” Snow declared emphatically.  “Hook’s emotional involvement is different than ours. Plus what if it doesn’t work? What if she doesn’t look like herself? I don’t want to put him in that position until we know for sure. We can do this, Regina. I know we can. We owe it to her to try."

Regina rolled her eyes, deferring yet again to Snow White. “Forever the optimist,” she muttered as she stepped back from the Nolans to give... whatever... showed up a wide berth. She took a defensive stance, magic crackling at her fingertips just in case the worst happened.

Snow looked to her husband for assurance before raising the dagger aloft, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

"Dark One, I summon thee."

**Author's Note:**

> In theorizing possible arcs for season 5, my brain kept going again and again to the parallels to the end of Buffy S5. So, this is my take on Once Upon a Time through the emotional and basic premise lens of Buffy S6. You do not need to be familiar at all with BtVS to enjoy this journey, but it will hopefully have another layer of nuance if you are. Given that my jossing will soon be, er, jossed (filming starts today!), consider this a canon divergence from the end of OUAT s4.


End file.
